On Monday, its Department of Strategic Communications (StratCom) revealed on Telegram that the move is intended to strengthen Ukrainian defenses in the area, adding that the buildup of forces would continue “depending on the development of the situation”.
The department noted that Russian forces were continuing to gain ground in the Kharkov direction and have managed to dislodge Ukrainian troops from several key areas. This was also confirmed by the army’s general staff on Monday, which admitted that Russia has had “tactical success” in its recent offensive push.
Meanwhile, other media reports have suggested that Kiev is also relocating some of its forces from other regions to the area as Russia pushes closer to the second-largest city in Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, Kiev has started to deploy more troops to stabilize the northeastern front line, noting that Russia’s offensive has likely stretched Ukraine’s already “outgunned and out-manned forces”, and could push Kiev to also redeploy troops from the eastern front.
TASS news agency has also reported, citing a source within the Russian military, that a number of Ukrainian units from the Krasnoarmeysk area in the Donetsk People’s Republic appear to have been transferred north to Kharkov.
Similar reports were published on Sunday claiming that Kiev had been redeploying its reserves from Russia’s Konstantinovka region to the northern front line.
According to statements by Russia’s Defense Ministry and reports on the ground, its forces have secured several villages in Kharkov Region since last Friday, and have made advancements near the settlements of Volchansk, Neskuchnoye, Liptsi, and Vesyoloe.
Russian forces currently hold the upper hand in fighting near the city of Kharkov, Ukraine’s general staff announced on Monday.
